Dr. Reddy's mission in life was to provide innovative new medicines at a price that the common man could afford. His passion for research became legendary when Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. became the first pharmaceutical company of India to initiate basic drug discovery research in 1993. A B.Sc graduate from Bombay University with specialization in Pharmaceutical Science and Fine Chemicals, Dr. Reddy obtained his Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. Soon after his studies, he served in the state-owned IDPL before he founded the company in 1984.

Under his leadership, the company became a pioneer and trendsetter in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Reddy also set-up the "Institute of Life Sciences" at Hyderabad, which is a public-private partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh for carrying out cutting edge research in Life Sciences. Critically aware of his own responsibility to society, Dr. Reddy in the last decade was renowned for his outcome based institutionalized philanthropy that positively impacted the lives of nearly 5 million underprivileged citizens, mainly children and youth.

In 1998, Dr. Reddy set up the Naandi Foundation as a Public Charitable Trust. Naandi is probably India's largest rural safe drinking water provider, and gives midday meals to 1.3 million government school-going children and farmers. Dr. Reddy took up the cause of safe motherhood and newborn care, thereby reducing maternal and neo-natal care in India. He also spearheaded and founded the Neo Natal Intensive Care and Emergencies called "NICE Foundation," the only institute for newborns in Asia that also does large scale community outreach programs, saving a number of lives on a daily basis.

Satish Reddy, MD and COO of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. and son to Dr. Reddy said: "Dr. Reddy touched millions of lives through his contribution to the Pharmaceutical industry and his Philanthropic efforts. In improving access to affordable, high quality medicines and in innovation, his contributions have been extraordinary. His philanthropic initiatives made a difference in the lives of so many Indians in the areas of livelihood, education, clean drinking water and healthcare. A nation is grateful to a man who paved a way for the delivery of affordable medicines to the masses and made us believe and take pride in innovation as a means to prosperity."

Dr. Reddy served as a Member of the Prime Minister's Council on Trade & Industry, Government of India. He was the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (APIDC), and President of The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. He served as a Board Member of GAIN, Switzerland (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) and also was on the Board of Directors for TB Alliance, New York (Global Alliance for TB Drug Development).

In April 2011, he was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest Civilian Awards in India, recognizing his distinguished service of high order in the field of Trade and Industry. In 2012, CNBC TV18 conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award (IBLA) on him for being a visionary who had spent a lifetime building up his company into a colossus with a global reach putting Indian industry on the world map.